Balta1701

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 06:06 PM) one of the absolute dumbest tropes in baseball scouting. There isn't a single scout in any other pro sport that thinks guys will slow down as they add muscle. That's just something out of like 1960 thinking. As if they are just training biceps! Come on. I kinda feel like we're having this exact same discussion about Leury and I feel like he added some muscle and slowed down a bit.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 06:52 PM) WAR is generally worth around $9m currently. What part of you has a problem with signing him? Say 6/$130m? The part where we're not competitive in 2018 and if we can find a DH who can put up 1.5 WAR in 2019 out of several minimum contract players who could very possibly do that, this would be a less than efficient use of our resources. This is, to me, the "Stay the course" part of the game. It's hard. Even Theo got seduced. Stay the course, play the kids for the entire year, and I promise, next offseason, everyone out there who someone wants to sign to fill a hole, I'm going to say "Let's do this!". We have 1 more year of doing this right.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 06:18 PM) I kinda thought the Phillies or Braves would try him. I'm somewhat surprised the D-Backs or Rockies aren't in on him if we're talking about NL teams, but there's no one who matches better than the Red Sox.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 06:02 PM) He’s a 3-5 WAR player just as a DH. That’s my take. 2016 him and any of his previous seasons is a ~2.5 WAR player as a DH (Edwin Encarnacion level). 2017 him is a ~4 WAR player as a DH (Nelson Cruz level).

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 05:40 PM) Do you mind sharing your math? I'd love to see how all this is calculated to maybe do this myself in the future. If I read this right, his fielding was "-17.2" in 2016 and "-7.7" in 2017. The positional adjustment for RF/LF is -7.5, while it's -17.5 for a full time DH. So in 2016 he was genuinely awful defense - so bad that the extra run of negative position adjustment offsets the shift to full time DH, but in 2017 he wasn't bad enough defensively to make up for that.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 05:50 PM) If you were dealing Anderson, you’d have to play Leury there or sign Andrus, too... You could play Sanchez at SS and Davidson at 3b in 2018 with the long term goal of still signing Machado.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 04:34 PM) Since Balta only speaks in WAR, can someone calculate what Martinez's fWAR would be if he was simply a DH? I honestly think the runs he cost his team defensively might be worse than the DH positional adjustment. In 2016 it would have been better for him if he never played the field by about 1/2 a win. In 2017 he would have been about 1/2 a win worse.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 04:17 PM) Edit to my above.. I wouldn't include Kopech, Hansen, Robert, Eloy. But you can take any other 3. I'd give up 3 of Rutherford, Anderson, Cease, Burger, Collins, Dunning, Lopez, Giolito, Burdi. (In some combo, but not all. Wouldn't give up Lopez, Gio and Cease) The Marlins should easily be able to get better offers for him from the rest of the league.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 03:50 PM) So we know he can hit 75 MPH fastballs right down the middle. It's batting practice. And depending how these guys have spent their winters, some will be ahead of others even in BP at this point. I don't want to take away from him as a prospect, and don't want to sound skeptical, because I am not. But this is batting practice. When Dylan Covey gets lit up, he is called batting practice. Where's Allen Iverson when you need him? How do you know what was being thrown to him if you weren't there for the BP session?

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 03:40 PM) You sure love picking one random example and using it as the end all be all. Do you have any objective reasoning for why this guy couldn’t be an elite DH for his age 30 to 34 seasons? WTF is an "Elite DH"? Like that's the worst statement I want to see to describe a guy we're signing. "He's a wonderful player in the tiny, limited role we want him for!" Jackson was worth his money in 2013. It was still a terrible move.

QUOTE (Username @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 03:16 PM) Boston supposedly only offering him around 5 years $100M. No wonder the Sox are interested in that range. Even if he’s a fringe corner guy/DH he’s a top 10 hitter in baseball. "Edwin Jackson has put up $75 million in value in the past 4 years and we only have to pay him $52 million for the next 4. No wonder the Cubs are interested" - Prior to the 2013 season.

Frankly with the Bulls management of the past 5 years...that's not unfair. They're in a situation this summer where they shouldn't be able to screw it up, they have money and no other teams don't!

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 12:40 PM) Based on photos he's shorter than Obama who is 6'1" and shorter than Trudeau who is 6"2" I'm fine with you doing that, but he wouldn't accept circumstantial evidence in another thread so he doesn't get to speculate here. That was his standard - He has to have personally been in the room when the measurement happened to be able to tell me what the actual height is. Speculation based on photos isn't allowed.

QUOTE (GenericUserName @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 12:57 PM) I would almost rather let him get everyday ABs in AAA and see if he can develop anything resembling an average hit tool. It would also have the added benefit of keeping his service time down because I think even if he can never hit in the bigs, he could be a valuable piece when we are contending as a late inning defense and baserunning guy with the expanded roster and playoffs. If Tilson has Jesus wave his magic hands over his body and outperforms Engel in ST, then this isn't unreasonable. Is Polo slated as the starting CF in Charlotte otherwise? Polo/Tilson right now?

QUOTE (KnightsOnMintSt @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 11:40 AM) I agree, but the way I look at it, 2018 is almost like a practice year. Guys like Moncada, Giolito, and Lopez will get "pressure free" starts, that I think will really help them in 2019. I dont think Engel will be a starter beyond 2018, but I would love to see the development withe the bat because the glove is so strong. I'd love to see it too. He puts up a .680 OPS next year and with his glove he earns the starting position back and maybe keeps it until Robert takes it away. That's just a huge jump for him. Not an impossible jump, but a big one. You're totally right that in the 3b, DH, LF, and CF slots, our main goal this year is to find a couple competent players. Find a couple starters and fill out the bench before hitting the FA market next offseason, and that helps us seriously load up in 2019. If Engel could hit well enough to even be a bench player going forwards, that eliminates some of our disastrous bench moves like Bonifacio and Keppinger, and that's useful too.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 09:11 AM) Obama is 6'1". Photos standing together make them look about the same height. You probably could give Trump a 1/2 an inch on him if you were being generous. Certainly not 6'3". Supposedly he is 6'2" on his drivers license, and people do tend to shrink a bit when they get older. How can you speculate about a person's height if you're not personally in the room to measure them?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 12:26 PM) He received a decent amount of ABs in 2017. I'm sure he will get some more in 2018, but he is going to have to hit a lot better, and hopefully the White Sox have a couple of other guys who can push him for playing time. Not many guys get as many ABs as he has received with his results. At least in my eyes, Engel hasn't fully been beaten yet, but Leury has passed him. They should both make the roster out of ST, but barring any amazing changes in ST, Leury should be in CF on opening day and Engel should have to earn the position back.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jan 16, 2018 -> 07:46 PM) I've always thought AD's destiny was to return to Chicago Generally speaking he's a good fit but he's under contract for the next 3 seasons after this one, which means even if NOLA looses Cousins they still have him with little reason to move him. If the Bulls were to win the lottery or pick up something amazing like the extra pick the Cavs got in a trade for their current assets, maybe you could come up with a match, but that seems like something way down the line if ever.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Jan 17, 2018 -> 07:56 AM) Put Yelich in CF, and the Sox have a very good lineup Not if it costs you Jiminez to get him.

QUOTE (Tony @ Jan 16, 2018 -> 06:56 PM) So do the "LeBron to the Bulls" rumors pick up in the off-season? Dunn-LaVine-LeBron-Markkenen-Random Center? My guess is it all depends on whether or not people are spooked by the Lakers looking like a mess. They've clearly got the money for 2 max deals, if Lebron and George want to play there they will be able to play there. If they don't want to deal with that, then all of a sudden the Bulls have as good of a shot as anyone other than maybe Cleveland.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 16, 2018 -> 04:42 PM) Lauri is putting up a 22 PER through 8 games in January. f***ing amazing. Seriously J4L...I'm glad you haven't jinxed him and called him a generational talent yet, but he is as much of a generational talent as Porzinkis was at this point in their career arc. Apparently he's the fastest ever to 100 made 3 pointers.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 16, 2018 -> 03:20 PM) I fully agree with your end state that if we get Cousins with the main core we could be top 3 seed as soon as next year (albeit I get nervous about the fact that Cousins hasn't won anywhere and losing can be toxic). Now here's a counter...what if they try to win now and make a run at the playoffs and then make a push at Cousins and George (not sure if we have the cap space or not). We really seem to have built a good culture with this current group (again kudos to Hoiberg and staff). I blasted him for a couple years but have to change my tune a lot this year. And by trade whatever they can, who are you implying to move? I presume Lopez / Niko? The Bulls have the cap space for 1 of those guys, not both, but they can get to that level if they could move Mirotic and Lopez without taking on money beyond the value of the draft holds.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 16, 2018 -> 01:10 PM) One other thing I think that is being missed is that the White Sox had opportunities last year to add guys who would probably have fallen in that 10-15 range, in deals like the Swarzak and Jennings deals. If the White Sox had wanted to get them, they could have targeted guys at the lower levels of the minors, guys who were picked in the 2nd or 3rd rounds the last 2 years, and those guys would have filled in that 10-15 range. Had opportunities. Again, how about some names. I'm through with this game it's making us all dumber and you're going to make me suspend myself if I keep typing.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 16, 2018 -> 12:04 PM) No I don't. For the love of God, you said much younger guys in the same range were available to the White Sox. I am pointing out that is very debatable. And, as usual, you can't deal with any possible way you may be wrong. You are the one who needs to show names. You are the one who said these younger guys were available but the White Sox chose a different route. If you were running a team, and you had a 25 year old and a 19 year old rated about the same and you had to trade one, which one would you trade? No I did not. You altered the meaning of my words. I said "could have targeted". You changed that to "were available" to imply that I had some list so that you could pick the fight.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 16, 2018 -> 11:57 AM) OK. That was coming into the season. Gillespie wasn't there anymore. Cordell was hurt and blocked, and will be 26 on opening day. That isn't like a 19 year old top 15 prospect. Coming into 2017, Carson Fulmer was rated #5 on the White Sox, Hansen #9. At the trade deadline, who had more value? So you're saying that Gillaspie and Cordell would have fallen in the 10-15 range had they qualified? Hmmm, so you agreed with me but you can't admit it because you need to pick a fight using an impossible to answer hypothetical. Prove to me that a prospect in the 10-15 range at lower levels was never offered. That's the same thing you just demanded I do just back at you. Give me the list of names who were actually offered since you clearly insist I have that. Show me that no one at that level was ever offered. You asked it of me so you clearly must be able to do it yourself, otherwise you're just picking a fight.